


Holding Hands

by Thedoctorsblogger



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, First Meetings, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:42:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29982339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thedoctorsblogger/pseuds/Thedoctorsblogger
Summary: *may change the name of this in the future*Jed Meets Abbey in College, this is their story.pre-series AU
Relationships: Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet
Kudos: 2





	1. Chess Moves.

Josiah Bartlet looked down at his semester schedule and frowned. As a sophomore at Notre Dame, he was tired of taking core classes, ready to get into the classes that really had him excited to study. Luckily, it seemed he was nearing the end of what he was required to take. The last couple of science credits and his economics credits would be knocked out of the park by this anatomy/physiology class and an Econ 101 course. After that, he was free to study all the Theology his heart desired. 

Jed had decided to dedicate his life to theology. God had always been a vital part of his life, so it seemed only right that he would devote his life to the service of the Lord. He was all but ready to join the seminary when his father made him promise that he would get some sort of degree. Begrudgingly, Jed agreed, but he was glad now that his father had made him go to college, because, after all, if he had not, he would not have met his best friend, Leo. 

Leo was a boisterous pre-law student that seemed to latch onto Jed the moment that the two of them had met in an English course they were required to take. They had become fast friends, and they now shared a shabby apartment off-campus. 

Jed would be lying if he said that he was not nervous about this anatomy class. He was always terrible with biology and anything related to it. As far as he was concerned he was fine with leaving all knowledge about his body up to his doctor, so he could concentrate on other things. He dwelled on this worry the entire walk back to his apartment. 

As Jed fumbled to get his key into the lock of the front door that he and Leo shared, he thought about just how glad he was to be back at school. As much as Jed loved being at home with his sister, being with his father was always trying. It was something that he was always glad to get away from. After a visit home, it always took a few weeks for the bruises to fade, but the fact that there were no fresh ones was a blessing to be sure. 

Jed was just setting his backpack on his bed when he was attacked by a large mass. 

“Well, Leo I missed you too, although it has only been a couple of months” 

“Jed, why didn’t you tell me that you were getting here sooner. I would have either invited you over or I would have come early.”

“That’s a two-hour drive, Leo, and as much as I love your mother’s cooking, I am not going to drive that far just for dinner.”

Jed purposely evaded the question, not wanting to admit that he needed a day or two to decompress from spending so much time at home.   
“Besides, getting here early meant I had time to unpack and reclaim my spot at the bookstore.”

Leo laughed, “okay, but did you at least scope out some hot babes?”

Jed cracked a smile and smacked Leo’s arm. 

“I am a single man, Jed, I am a young and single man.”

“Yeah, ok, now get the hell out of my room before I kick you the hell out. You can scout your own cute girls.”

“Babes, Jed, babes” Leo shouted, already halfway down the hall, on his way to whatever it was that he did when he wasn’t with Jed. 

Jed reclined on his bed with the book he had gotten while he was at the library. He knew that this was one of the last chances he would get to do some serious reading that was purely for pleasure. He opened it up, the smell of the Notre Dame library filling his senses as he lost himself in the pages. 

~~~

The first day of classes dawned entirely too early for Jed, who was enjoying the limbo that was being on campus without any actual classes. He groaned as he dragged himself out of bed and into the shower. His mind stayed fogged as he pulled his shirt over his head, grabbed his bag and headed out the door. 

Coffee. That was what he needed. That would get him out of his fog just in time for his 8 AM Class. 

~~~

Jed looked at his watch impatiently. He had already been in line for ten minutes waiting to get a cup of coffee to wake him up. At this point, if he did not leave the line now, he was going to be late for class, but the fact that he had already been in the line for ten minutes and there were only four people left in front of him convinced Jed that he would just wait it out. 

It was another four minutes before he was able to finally get his hands on the precious liquid gold that would start Jed’s day off just right. He walked as fast as he could without having the coffee sloshed over the sides of the cup. He was just in front of his building when a flash of dark curly hair collided with him. 

Hot coffee splashed down his front and the front of the collider. 

“I am so sorry about that, oh god-” Jed looked down at the person, who happened to be a very beautiful woman. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, any annoyance he had felt was knocked away as soon as he saw her face. He extended a hand out to help the woman to her feet. 

“I am so sorry, but I’m running late, I have to go” as soon as she got to her feet she was already facing away from him, running down the sidewalk. 

“Wait- can’t I get your name?” Jed shouted after her, although it was futile as she was already too far away to hear him. 

Jed stood there for another minute, still dumbfounded by the woman that just ran into him before he remembered that he too was late. Not having to worry about spilling anymore, Jed ran to his class.

That night, Jed didn’t mention the interaction to Leo, but it was still on his mind. He wondered who the woman was, and how he could find her again. He wasn’t sure what it was about the woman that intrigued him so much but he knew that he wanted to know as much about her as he possibly could. It was her face he was thinking about when he fell asleep that night. 

~~~

Two days and four hours later, Jed sat in the lecture hall waiting for his Anatomy/physiology lecture to begin, and he was still thinking about his encounter two mornings prior. He stared down at the notebook in his lap doodling absentmindedly. For the past two days, he had been trying to figure out how in the world he was going to find that woman, and he had gotten nowhere. 

He was still deep in thought when a cup was thrust into his line of sight. Jed looked up, confused as to who would be trying to give him a drink. He smiled as he recognised the face he saw. 

“I think I owe you a coffee,” She started. As Jed took the cup, she motioned to the seat next to him. “Do you mind?”

He shook his head, still dumbfounded that he was actually experiencing all of this and it was not just a dream. 

“I’m Abbey, by the way, Barrington.” She stuck her hand out, an invitation to shake. 

“Jed Bartlet,- “ he stuck his hand out to shake hers. “How did you find me?”

Abbey laughed and it was a sound that Jed decided he definitely would need to hear more of in the very near future. 

“I saw you, on Monday, I was sitting in the back and I recognised you. I figured I should bring you a coffee today and apologize for running into you. 

Jed smiled, “Well I appreciate it, Abbey, Thank you.” He raised his cup in a ‘cheers’ gesture. 

Any further conversation was interrupted by the professor starting his lecture. Small smiles were traded, along with commentary whenever either found something relatively entertaining to add under their breaths. 

Jed was very glad, all of a sudden that he had chosen this to complete his science requirement. 

Near the end of the lecture, Abbey reached over and wrote something on the corner of Jed’s notebook. It was her number. After it was over Abbey gave Jed another one of those dazzling smiles. 

“You have my number, Call me, or Don’t. Your move Jethro.” 

She flipped her hair and walked off, leaving Jed dumbfounded once again. His notebook hung uselessly in his hand, as he tried to compose himself. 

Jed knew that he was about to enter the most important and the most fun game of chess he would ever play in his life. 

~~~

“I’m telling you, Leo, this woman, she is something else. I have never met anyone else that has made me feel like she did with just a smile.” Jed shouted across the apartment to his roommate. 

“Then stop fawning, and call her,” Leo yelled back as he made his way to Jed’s room. “Go get her before someone else does,” Leo stopped in the doorway. 

Jed looked like he was about to protest. 

“Jed, I know you can be stupid sometimes, but I highly doubt that you are so stupid as to not get this hint.”  
“Hint? Leo, what the hell are you talking about?” 

Leo rolled his eyes. “For the love of- Jed, she brought you coffee. She gave you her number. She sat next to you and laughed at your jokes for christ sake.” 

“Now there is nothing wrong with my jokes.”

“No, nothing wrong at all, other than they’re not funny. Just call her Jed. Ask her to get coffee, or to go to the library or something. It doesn’t have to be anything formal.”

“Leo I think you are forgetting one detail, however minor it might be.”

“And what might that be.”

“I am supposed to be studying to be a priest.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “But you aren't one yet are you?”

“No, but-”

“I am going to say this once and only once, Bartlet. Call her before I kick your ass.”

With that, Leo turned his back and left Jed to his business. 

Jed picked up the phone, ‘Pawn to e4’ He thought ‘and let the game begin.’


	2. Fate Calling

Abbey tried to pretend she wasn’t hovering in her kitchen, waiting for the phone to ring. She had decided - after a particularly embarrassing incident where she sprang to her feet to answer the phone on the first ring and it turned out to be her brother calling because their mother was bothered about something or other that she didn't listen to - that if a certain boy did happen to call that she would be completely aloof. After all, her father, Dr Patrick Barrington, raised a strong independent woman that didn’t need to depend on a man. 

This determination, however, did not stop her from jumping out of her seat when the phone rang again. Abbey took a deep breath to compose herself before she picked up the receiver. 

“Hello? This is Abbey.” She said it cooly. She was proud of herself for it. 

“I need to ask, where on earth did you pull Jethro from?” Abbey smiled, knowing exactly who it was at the other end of the line. 

“I was wondering if you were going to call coffee boy. Tell me, run into anybody else lately?” Abbey teased, ignoring his question.   
Jed chuckled on the other end of the line. “Now, as I recall, I was not the one doing the running into people. I think I should be asking you that question.” 

“That is neither here nor there, Jethro, the question is how are you going to make it up to me?”

“Well I do believe this was already settled, but how about I buy you a coffee this time. This afternoon?”

Abbey smiled. Normally men acted cluelessly and insulted when she teased them. She knew when she met Jed that he wouldn’t be like the others, but it was nice to have her hypothesis confirmed. 

“Hmm, let's see,” she continued to tease, she could hear the nerves behind his words. “Boy, I don’t know I do have so many other cute boys to have coffee with.”

“Oh, do you now?” Abbey could tell she had struck his competitive nerve, even if the men he was competing against were completely fictional. “How about we make it tonight and I throw in a meal?”

“Well, Mr Jed Bartlet, I do believe you have yourself a date.” 

They decided that they would meet later that night, about 6, by the recreation centre and they would choose from there where they wanted to eat. 

They spoke for a little while longer, Jed seeming to relax considerably after he had finally gotten a date. They both hung up with smiles on their faces. 

~~~

As 6 dawned, Jed became more nervous. He paced his room, waiting to leave, but not wanting to leave so early so that it was obvious that he was nervous. 

Leo passed his door, poking his head in for just a moment to speak to the nervous younger man. 

“Calm the hell down Jed. it is all going to be fine, you got the date, that’s the hardest part.”

“But-” Jed tried to interject. 

“No buts, just take a deep breath.” Jed did as he was told. 

He wouldn't admit it to Leo but it did work, sort of.”  
Leo nodded, “good, now get the hell out of here your pacing is putting me on edge.”

~~~

Jed did as he was told, taking the long way to the rec centre where he was to meet abbey in order to burn off some energy, as well as make sure that he didn't get there too early. 

He ended up getting there right as Abbey did. He smiled just seeing her face was enough to calm him. It wasn’t long before all of Jed‘s nerves melted away. Being himself with Abbey was effortless. Conversation floated freely and lightly, and with every passing minute, Jed was falling more and more head over heels for this woman. They went to dinner at an Italian place near their campus, Vito’s.

As it turns out. Abbey was a pre-med student a year behind Jed in her studies. She was going to be a doctor just like her father was. Abbey had also never played chess before. Something that Jed was most eager to teach her at the first possible moment. Jed told Abbey that he was studying theology, conveniently leaving out that he was training to be a priest. 

Jed did feel some guilt about leaving out what he was planning on doing with his life. He justified it to himself, with one single thought. He wasn’t officially in the seminary yet, so, technically he wasn't in training yet. He knew it wasn't enough but for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to tell Abbey. 

Dinner led to the two of them walking around campus continuing their conversation, but before Jed knew it, he was outside Abbey’s apartment saying goodnight. 

“I had a great time tonight, Jed.” Abbey leaned against her front door. A smile on her lips as she looked Jed in the eyes. 

“So did I. I’d like to do this again, as soon as we can.” He smiled back. 

Jed’s attention was caught by a flash of Abbey’s tongue poking out as she bit her bottom lip. His eyes flashed up to Abbey’s to find that she was looking at his lips. He inched his way closer, putting his finger under Abbey’s chin to bring her eyes up to his own. 

“Abbey, Can I kiss you?” 

She smiled, “I’ve been waiting for you to ask me that all night.”

Abbey closed the gap between the two of them, making their lips meet in a tender kiss. 

A spark flew through Jed's body. He had had girlfriends in high school but he had never felt that way when kissing a single one of them. He sighed into the kiss deepening it and pulling Abbey towards him. He wanted nothing more than to have that gorgeous woman in his arms, and for her to be his. 

The two broke apart after a few moments, looking into each other’s eyes and smiling, before Abbey tucked head under Jed’s chin, resting against his chest. Jed rested his chin on Abbey’s hair. They stood like that in silence, nothing but the beat of Jed’s heart and the sound of their breathing in Abbey’s ears. Neither wanting to be the one to say goodbye. Abbey felt comfortable in Jed’s arms. Safe. Something she had never felt with another man before. 

Neither knew how long it was before Jed finally broke the silence. “It’s getting late, you should get yourself to bed. Wouldn’t want to be late to class tomorrow morning.”

“Right, you wouldn’t want me to spill coffee all over another man?”

“No,” Jed’s eyes shined as he smiled down at his date. “I would quite like to keep that privilege to myself.”

He leaned in again to get another kiss. It was deeper this time, the spark of passion growing into a flame as Abbey’s tongue probed Jed’s lips asking for entrance. Jed backed Abbey into the door behind her, pinning her there and pushing his body close. Their tongues danced, fighting for dominance. Abbey’s hands raked through Jed’s hair, down to his neck, keeping him close, while Jed had his arms wrapped around her waist. 

Abbey was positive that the door and Jed’s body were the only things keeping her upright. Jed taking control of the situation, while it was not something that shocked her, it sure as hell was not expected from the nervous wreck that she had heard on the phone earlier that day. From the first feel of his body pressed against hers, Abbey’s knees went weak. 

It took a considerably longer amount of time for the two of them to break apart this time. They leaned their foreheads together, breathing hard. 

“Go out with me again tomorrow night.” Jed reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Abbey’s ear.

Abbey smiled, “Absolutely,” She looked Jed up and down again, laughing when she took in the state of his hair. “Here, Let me fix this.” she reached up to do so, smiling at him and placing a hand on his cheek when she was done. “Perfect. Although I think you’re devilishly sexy either way.”

They stood there in content silence for a moment “I really should go.” Abbey said, 

“Yeah,”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Absolutely.” The two smiled at each other again. 

Abbey gave Jed one last lingering kiss before she ducked into her apartment. 

“Tomorrow,” she said as she closed the door

“Tomorrow.” He confirmed.


End file.
